The Wine Thing

It is not necessary to remind me. I know that at the Christmas Season of the year, one's thoughts should be filled with peace, poetry, and thoughts of plenty and prosperity.

Someone asked when was the most DIFFICULT time in my life? It has all been difficult, nothing easy... according to the measurements and standards of most people. The poverty of childhood, the expenditure of every challenge during eight years of university education, the animose of military service, early professional practice, disappointment of marriage, magnanimous of spirit in learning to live as a totally blind-disabled “chosen vessel” truly knowing complete dependence on God.

From childhood, radio was my best friend, helping me to escape the realities of one existence into that of another and, after eighty years, radio is still my best friend. I seldom turn on a television even though I can hear the sound if not see the picture.

I have a long list of programs, mostly educational, spiritual, from which satisfies my companionship. I know radio personalities better than I know members of my own family. and, as with some relatives, there are some I do no wish to know.. phonies-hypocrites. This weekend, I heard one of these electronic, overpaid, narcissistic, younger electronic preachers say, “In speaking of my blessed Lord, and his first miracle at Cana and, he said, “this was the “wine thing””

Of course, Christ's first miracle, turning water into wine could easily become a true Christmas story.

Mary, his mother, said to the attendants at the wedding feast, “Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. ” (John 2:5)

The Catholics have it right in honoring Mary, the mother of Jesus. In the Nativity scene, one cannot mistake the Savior of the world, the Creator of the world and everything in it which God chose to have laying in the poverty of straw, in a feed trough. The world would have had God's only begotten son (John 3:16) born in a palace, clothed in embroidered silk.

Little tribute has been paid to Joseph, we hardly know where to place him in the Nativity scene, inspired by dreams from God, willing to be the world's greatest stepfather but, think of a the thirteen year old girl, Jewish, THE FIRST CHRISTIAN, the customs and foibles of Jewish Law, Emanuel, God is with us.

The birth of Jesus is serious business, the greatest event in the history of the world. Religionists, pretenders, above the hoopla of tinsel, gorging and giving, partying and praying.

Why could God not have had nicer people to do His work. Saul, selected as King, only because he was the tallest man in the country, total lack of character. David, adulterer and murderer, Moses, murderer. Many of today's profits, paid from the tithes and offerings of obsessed Christians, on the greens of the golf course instead of the bushes of the hinterlands, Real Christians, the most persecuted in all religions. (75 of every 100 killed because of their faith)

Think of it, Christmas time, the assassination of Kim Jong IL, the deaths of two atheists, Christopher Hitchens, Vaclav Havel. Our thoughts go to the Christians in N. Korea, concentration camps., Christian mothers who give birth to a child in a Christina church or concentration camp, guards or law enforcement stomping the baby to death. TIMING IS OF THE LORD... whether 2000 years ago, Herod, Romans, or Pagan Kim Jong IL. Babies are still the answer at this season and every season.

Mary knew not only the patter of small feet but the spitting, flogging, of her naked son in the filth of the Jerusalem streets, his piercing with her at the foot of the cross.

The Christian, Raison D'etre (reason for being), is to deny self, self-evaluation, daily, taking up our cross. (Hebrews 5:7)

Every day Christmas Day, :”To know HIM, the power of HIS resurrection, the fellowship of HIS suffering .(Philippians 3:10) God has always accomplished more through suffering than through pleasure.